Mother, Mum, Mom, ma, m...

I pronounce it 'mutha'. The 'fucka' is silent.

Mom (or one of the other choices) is used in the US, mum in the UK. Mum is always never used by a native US speaker.

If the setting is England, Australia, etc. then it's fine to use mum, even if the book is aimed at a US audience. If the setting is the US, or the character is from the US, then use mom.

I'm not sure about Canada. Oi, proabably. Just being silly; I really don't know what's more commonly used there.

Oh my. A negative rep point. "Comedy is the lowest form of communication," apparently. No-one tell a joke - it makes you stupid!

scarletpeaches said:

I pronounce it 'mutha'. The 'fucka' is silent.

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OMG, I laughed out loud! I am stealing this, Scarlet.

I wonder if I can get three neg-reps in the same thread. Whadaya say, huh? Or you could just get over yourself?

Another small point, "mother" is sometime used in dialogue and as a direct address by some Americans, especially in certain families. It would be more common in upper-class families.

"Mother, what shall we serve for brunch?"

"It was so difficult living with mother."

Mama is also common in the US, although there may be regional preferences. And it is a common usage for young children, like it's counterpart, Daddy.

Mommy is also very common usage for young children.

Just to answer the earlier question ... it's usually "mom" in Canada too.

I though MAMA only went with "ooh mama, that's the spot!"

They realy don't understand MUM here, US. A MUM is a plant. I misspelled it in the third grade when I moved from London to Seattle.

It seems there's a private battle going on between Scarlet and Draco?

Scarlet, this is not Office Party or TIO. Please confine the more urbane humor to forums where it is more appropriate. I will not tolerate poking at individuals just for the sake of poking or this retaliatory posting you seem to be engaging in.

Draco, it is not your responsibility to "reprimand" other members, nor is that the purpose of negative rep points. Rather than repeated negative repping another individual, you should have used the reported post function much sooner.

If the two of you are not able to play nicely with one another, I suggest you place each other on ignore.

DracoMerest said:

When I read 'mom', it can throw me a little until I become accustomed to the form. I much prefer ‘mum’ as I have always been taught and it feels better. Writing mother all over the place looks way too formal and cannot, sensibly, be used in dialogue.

‘Mom’ looks like the contraction of Mother while ‘mum’ sounds like the contraction. Unless I am mistaken, everyone pronounces the word as ‘muther’ or, here in Oz, ‘mutha[r]’

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I call my female parent mom or mother, and I do not pronounce the former mum or the latter muther.

My use of the two terms depends on the situation and the context. Growing up, my mother did not wish us to call her 'mom', although she did not chastise or correct us when we picked up the term from pour playmates. Hence, the two became interchangeable, except difference in tone, rhythm, body language, and context also add meaning to both terms.

Is 'mother' more formal? Well, yes, often, but not always. It can mean, "You're embarrassing me" or "I'm really mad at you right now" or any number of things. Again, it depends on the delivery. It can be used in dialogue, and quite sensibly, too, if that's what the character would call their female parent or if the situation warrants it.

Are they any undocumented rules? Or common consensus?

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The rules, as others have indicated, are dependent on socio-economic background and what part of the English-speaking world the character is from. You just have to make it believable for the characters you are writing.

I think alleycat has it right. Mom is US form. Mum, UK and some commonwealth countries.

Well, I'm British and I use Ma and Mama (with the emphasis on the last syllable) just to confuse the situation - but yes, Mum is more common in the UK. Mom is almost unheard of.

I used to use mama, as in . . .

"Mama, I promise I'll never do it again!"

(I was lying.)

I've actually never said mom to my...female parent. I call her mommy, mama (the spanish way), maman (french way), mum (when I'm being british), and sometimes mother, but not usually.

I like to keep it international....

but, anyway, in Japan they call moms "haha" which would be awkward in any English book...so I'd go with mom because I think they teach american english there, so that'd be the form taught instead of mum

but i could be wrong about that...

I say Mom when I'm talking to her, but when I'm speaking about her to someone else, it's my mother. When she's on my last nerve, I call her Mother. I was raised in New England.

My husband says Mother both when speaking to or about her, and once in awhile will refer to her as Mom, but never to her. He was raised in Texas.

Personally, I think "Mom" should always be paired with the word "Soccer."

In the American south, Mama is common. Mommy connates a young child. Mom as the child grows older. Mother (accompanied by eye roll) is for when you embarass said older child.

My mother is "mum" to me, or "ma" in a pinch. "Mother" gets me a slap around the ears

My husband works with one of those pussy-men who's heart belongs to mommy and no one else. This pussy-man always answers his phone "Hello Mother!"

It's possible different sections of the US use the term differently. I know I use Mom, when talking to her, but Mother when referencing her to others. As in:

My Mother does that, too.

I use Dad, and Father the same way.

I only say Mum when being silly (not that Mum is silly, but when it's not your norm, you use it that way)

But when it comes to Ma and/or Pa, I know people do use those, but no one I know does. Oh, but one thing that gives me shivers is when a man refers to his wife as "Mother." That's just . . . wrong.

but, anyway, in Japan they call moms "haha" which would be awkward in any English book...so I'd go with mom because I think they teach american english there, so that'd be the form taught instead of mum

but i could be wrong about that...

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The Japanese have also borrowed "mama" and "papa" and use these terms in addition to native ones. So, I'd use "mama."

MidnightMuse said:

Oh, but one thing that gives me shivers is when a man refers to his wife as "Mother." That's just . . . wrong.

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Oh that skeeves me out too! Icky!

And if your character were lower class and from the North of England, or Welsh, they would call her "mam".